ORISSA
Holidays are meant for relaxation , to rejuvenate
one's energy and to spend quality time with loved one's . Orissa is blessed to
have a rich cultural heritage and wildlife and lies quitely at the eastern
corner of India. With ancient monuments,
virgin beaches, serpentine rivers, mighty waterfalls and what not ,this state
promises a veritable wonderland. It's sea beaches are a rewarding experience of
sun and sea, rum and frolick.
HOW TO REACH
The only airport in Odissa is at it's capital city-
Bhubaneswar. In addition, commercial port at Paradeep, has also opened it's
doors via waterways to the nearby countries. Furthermore, the capital is
directly linked to New Delhi , Kolkata ,Patna , Allahabad, Chennai and other
places across India.
By road-
It is very well connected to neighbouring states
through a good road network. Apart from travelling within the state , the
presence of national highways make reaching Orrisa by road a great option.
National highway numbers such as 5,6,23,42 and 43 run through the length and
breadth of the state which facilitates easy access of Orrisa
by road.
By rail-
There is a good train network also that connects
Calcutta, Puri , Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Guwahti, Hyderabad, Bangalore,
Trivandrum, Tirupati to Bhubaneswar by express and super express trains to and
fro daily.
By airport-
Regular flights
landing at the only major airports of the city Biju Patnaik Airport is
connected to Calcutta, Mumbai, Raipur, Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam. Though it is
connected to some of the major airports but still it is not that good as only
people of these states can give a thought of going to orissa by air.
For others travelling by road or rail is the only
alternative left.
TOURIST SPOTS
BHUBANESWAR
The capital of Orrisa popularly known as "Temple
city of India" is an important hindu pilgrimage centre. It is believed of
having 2000 temples . They perfectly complement
it's modern buildings and extensive infrastructure with a perfect blend
of historic surroundings. It is very famous for it's handicrafts namely silver
filigree, stone and wood carving, patta paintings, bamboo basketry, Tie and dye
textiles, brass and bell
metal work, horn work and many more in it's local
market.
Temples like Rajarani, Mukteswar, Vishnu, Brahma,
ISKCON are of wide interest.
PURI
One of the famous four Dhaams is Puri " The adobe
of lord Jagannath". It is said that earlier puri was a thickly wooded hill occupied by pre-Aryans and pre-Dravidians tribes.
It is believed that the monolithic pillar which is 11
m high (Aruna stamba) was brought to Puri during the 18th century A.D. from Sun
temple. Almost upto 6000 men are
involved in the caring of god and other rituals.Non-hindus are not allowed to
enter in this temple.
Other visit worth places in puri are Gundicha ,
Sunaragauranga, lokanath, Daria, Mahabir, and Tota Gopinath. There are
monastries , holy tanks and Raghurajpur Painting village too.
KONARK
The name of Konark instantly makes one remind the
incomparable architecture of the most stunning monuments in the world- THE SUN
TEMPLE. It is almost impossible to describe the amazing experience of Konark in
words. The legendary poet Rabindra nath tagore also said "Here the
language of stone surpass the language of man." It is located 2kms away
from the sea. Built by King Narasimhadeva in 13th century. The temple is designed entirely like a
colossal chariot, carrying Surya across the heavens.
Moreover, it is also famous for it's famous jewel
-like oriyan art. The carving of the
content is combined with lyrical movements and an overwhelming tenderness.There
are also several smaller shrines situated in the neighbourhood of the Sun
temple. It is also referred as one of
the brightest flame of a dying lamp .
CHILIKA LAKE
The largest water lake Chilika - The queen of natural
beauty in Asia covers an area of over1,100 sq. km and is a great
attraction for fishing , bird watching,
boating too. The atmosphere is serene
and undisturbed with the blue expanse of
water on one side and range of hills on the other. The whole lake is dotted
with the hub of islands.
At the time of winters, numerous of enchanting
migratory birds from far and near.Even the poets weren't able to resist its
beauty. One can with these songs picturize easily the lake on his own.
Kalijai , honeymoon, breakfast, birds, Nalabana,
Parikud islands are few of the islands there. Dolphins can also be seen at
Chilika mouth near Satpara. Furthermore, the Nalabana island, 8 km in
circumference is the central point for migratory birds and the kalijia island
is famous for religious worship . A big fair is held onthe occassion of makara
sankranti.
CUISINE
Orissa has a culinary food tradition since centuries.
Major relishes here are of non- veg and fish forms an integral part of their
traditional food. Rice , both Sun dried and partly boiled is the staple food.
They follow a distinctive cooking style which reflects in its tastes too.
The food in region around Puri is sweeter with use of sugar and jaggery. The Berhampur
region has influences of south Indian cuisine and the Gopalpur town has
delicious fishes and green coconuts to satisfy hunger and thirst perfectly.
Curries prepared from prawn and lobster are loady with
spices. Pakhala , khechadi , Palau , dalma , aloo potalo rosco , maccha besara
, mahura etc are the basic local food items of Orissa.
SHOPPING
Handicrafts and handlooms must included in ones to
shop list as a rich and antique craftsmanship is deeply rooted in it's
tradition. It is a true heritage of several religions that reflects easily in
the Oriyan crafts. The beautiful objects
made of seashells are worth buying . They can serve as a great gift and a
decorative piece too.
Metal crafts also come up as one of the best items to
buy .
The government emporia are running all over the state
but at the same time pvt. shops should also be given a shot for good bargain.
So next time when you pack ur bags and plan your
vacation , visit Orissa and get lost in its evergreen , enchantingly
breathtaking spectacular beauty.
No comments:
Post a Comment